Trees are widely recognized as a natural air filters for humans as they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Across the world, governments are formulating ambitious policies and large-scale plantation drives to combat the escalating threats of climate change. Yet, in District Dadu of Sindh, the situation is alarmingly different. Timber mafias are actively engaged in illegal logging. Meanwhile, the district is already enduring the grave repercussions of climate change, with temperatures soaring to 51.5C during the ongoing summer, placing Dadu among the hottest districts in Pakistan.
Residents have repeatedly lodged complaints with the local authorities about the logging, but they have remained largely unresponsive. Although a ban on tree cutting exists, it appears to exist more on paper than in practice. There is an urgent need for the concerned authorities to take concrete steps to curb illegal logging in order to shield the district from the worsening impacts of climate change.
Abdul Nabi Rustamani
Dadu
